Patrick Reed has thrown an early wrench into Rory McIlroy’s plans, and the timing couldn’t be worse. After announcing his decision to leave LIV Golf, the 2018 Masters champion revealed his plans to make a comeback on the PGA Tour by winning a card through the Race to Dubai Rankings. For someone like McIlroy, he could pose tough competition for the season-long Race to Dubai title, and it could be a headache for one particular reason.
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“It’s February 5. Patrick Reed has almost secured full playing rights on the PGA Tour for next season. And he’s giving Rory McIlroy a Race to Dubai headache. 🧵,” John Turnbull of bunkered.co.uk wrote in an X post.
It’s February 5.
Patrick Reed has almost secured full playing rights on the PGA Tour for next season.
And he’s giving Rory McIlroy a Race to Dubai headache. 🧵
— John Turnbull (@JohnTurnbull03) February 5, 2026
Patrick Reed is currently facing a one-year ban on the PGA Tour for his stint with LIV Golf. He becomes eligible to play on the tour in mid-August, around 6 months from now. He has the past tour champion status for 2027. However, he has already revealed his plan to get full exemption status. And he is dead serious about winning one of the 10 PGA Tour cards available through the Race to Dubai Rankings.
“Continue to play out here and be in the Top 10 and be on the PGA TOUR next year,” Reed said after his 2026 Hero Dubai Desert Classic win.
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In the three starts he had on the DP World Tour this year, he scored a solo 26 at the Dubai Invitational, a win at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, and a T2 finish at the Bapco Bahrain Championship. Collectively, the three events got him 1,674.70. At the start of the Qatar Masters, he stood second on the list, only behind Jayden Schaper, who has 1,742.68 points, thanks to his two this season.
The difference is that Schaper played in 6 events to get there, while the 9x PGA Tour winner has played in only 3. Moreover, in his 4th start on the tour at the 2026 Qatar Masters, he is already leading after the first round. Reed’s first round is a 7-under par 65, which includes 9 birdies and 2 bogeys.
While the entire season is left for things to take a bad turn for Patrick Reed, he has already almost secured the PGA Tour card. In 2025, Rory McIlroy collected 5,975.06 to win his 7th Race to Dubai title.
However, the last golfer to win the PGA Tour card was Jordan Smith, who had only 2,203.32 points. In 2024, it was Tom McKibbin, who was the last to win the card with 1,897.45 points. Thus, the 2018 Masters champion is already close to them. And if he wins the Qatar Masters, he will get 585 R2DR points, taking him well over 2,200 points.
Although this doesn’t concern Rory McIlroy in terms of Patrick Reed getting a PGA Tour card, it’s a different story when it comes to the Race to Dubai title. The Northern Irishman won his 7th Race to Dubai title in 2025, surpassing Seve Ballesteros. Now, he is only one title behind the record holder, Colin Montgomerie.
If McIlroy wins the title in 2026, he will tie the record. He currently stands 26th in the Race to Dubai with 242.80 points. But there’s one man who could pose a challenge, and that’s Patrick Reed. In fact, since he faces a PGA Tour ban, he is likely to play more on the DP World Tour. This poses a significant challenge, considering the 2025 Masters champion’s schedule planning.
Rory McIlroy plans to reduce 2026 schedule
The Northern Irishman has outlined plans to scale back his 2026 tournament schedule to around 22-23 events. He said he wants to prioritize health, family, and golf longevity at age 36. This shift follows a demanding 2025 and aims to avoid the “hamster wheel” of constant play.
Rory McIlroy wants to stay injury-free for another decade of competitive golf. Thus, he plans on skipping non-essential events. In fact, he even missed some PGA Tour signature events in 2025. He didn’t participate in the 2025 RBC Heritage and the 2025 Memorial. This led to criticism from fans and even some analysts.
While some are criticizing him, the career Grand Slam winner has already set his mind on a reduced schedule. This could worsen the Patrick Reed challenge. Fewer starts leave far less room for error in a season-long points race.
With Patrick Reed likely to load up on DP World Tour appearances, what began as a quiet push for a PGA Tour card now threatens to turn into a season-defining problem for McIlroy’s bid for an eighth Race to Dubai title.
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